Dazzling drone performances reflect China's economic vitality

TIANJIN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yun keeps a carefully curated chart of drone shows on his mobile phone, which reveals that since the start of this year, staggering 100,000 drone flights for air performances have been orchestrated by his company across 30 different cities in China.

According to Zhang, deputy general manager of EFY-Tech based in north China's Tianjin Municipality, the company has put on 56 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) formation performances in 30 cities including Tianjin, Hangzhou, Taiyuan, Xi'an and Guangzhou so far this year.

"The chart not only illustrates the business map of EFY-Tech but it also serves as a testament to China's thriving economic climate," he said.

Zhang went on to share that the biggest show this year was in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

During this extraordinary performance, EFY-Tech deployed 3,000 drones for a 15-minute performance above Chaotianmen, a landmark location in the city. The show attracted more than 100,000 spectators and it garnered over 300 million views online.

"The number of drone performances this year was several times higher than that of the same period last year," Zhang said.

Apart from established leaders such as DJI, an array of innovative Chinese enterprises have emerged in the drone production industry in recent years, particularly in areas such as aerial performance and aerial inspection survey, highlighting China's pioneering approach to UAV application.

Besides the domestic market, EFY-Tech has also seen an increasing demand for drone shows from countries like the Republic of Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia, Zhang said.

The company's UAV formation performances can present 16 million colors, and connectivity can be realized in various modes such as 4G, Wi-Fi and radio. The performance cost has been reduced by more than 30 percent, compared to four years ago.

The company has sold more than 10,000 drones since 2019. Based on its current orders, it is expected to sell 10,000 to 20,000 drones this year.

"Since the beginning of this year, suppliers in the entire production chain have been mobilized due to the surge in orders," Zhang said.

The industrial manufacturing chain includes 16 types of core component manufacturers such as sensors, batteries, remote controllers and receivers, composite materials as well as flight control, navigation and communication systems.